For You and Your Healthcare Professional

The following information is based on a combination of vast professional experience, research, extensive clinical body piercing practice, and common sense. It has been compiled with the input and assistance of medical professionals who are trained, experienced piercers.

From the Medic: Featuring Dr. Janet L. H. Keating of the Duke Family Medicine Center

As a student health physician at Duke University, I see a number of piercings in the course of a year. Rarely is the piercing a reason for the office visit--more often the piercee is being seen for a sprained ankle or a strep throat. However, on occasion, there is a complication with a piercing that requires medical attention.

Each human body is different than the next. Each piercer exhibits a unique piercing and healing style. Regardless, there are certain things we can all agree upon: if you eat tons of calories you'll gain weight; if a piercer tilts a needle too much you'll end up with a crooked piercing. The same is true with healing and aftercare. No matter how many unique variations may exist, there are certain methods that seem to always work well.

No matter how many emails Tribalectic receives a day, the overwhelming majority consistently regard questions about piercings. As a result, this month I would like to use the feature column to help spread some useful basic knowledge about problems you may be experiencing with your piercing. One of Tribalectic's largest goals is to empower the piercee with as much information as needed to have a successful, enjoyable piercing experience. With the help of some of the industry's most passionate and knowledgeable piercers, we're proud to offer you the highest quality information on the web and this month's feature installment (another gracious 'thank you' to John Lopez at Gotham Body Piercing in San Francisco, CA).

The professional body piercers of the Tribalectic Body Piercing Community compiled these body piercing aftercare suggestions. Our proTribe piercers are the most innovative, educated and experienced professional body piercers and aftercare experts in the body piercing industry, and they have amassed these general guidelines to help you heal your new body piercing. Please keep in mind that these suggestions are only recommendations, and there are countless philosophies of piercing aftercare that may all prove successful in their own right.

As piercings become more popular, I am amazed at the lack of basic knowledge most people have when it comes to keeping a piercing and oneself happy and healthy. While all piercings have the inherent risk of becoming infected, oral piercings present a unique and particularly insidious risk for some people: bacterial endocarditis.

The professional body piercers of the Tribalectic Body Piercing Community compiled these body piercing aftercare suggestions. Our proTribe piercers are the most innovative, educated and experienced professional body piercers and aftercare experts in the body piercing industry, and they have amassed these general guidelines to help you heal your new body piercing. Please keep in mind that these suggestions are only recommendations, and there are countless philosophies of piercing aftercare that may all prove successful in their own right.

There are numerous philosophies and concepts when it comes to caring for your new body piercings. Many professional body piercers and health care practitioners may advocate differing or divergent schools of thought regarding the best way to ensure the health of your new piercing, but there is no single correct method or absolute answer. Just like everyone’s body is different, successful methods of healing a body piercing can also differ.